Niccolò Galli (footballer born 1983)

Niccolò Galli

Personal information
Date of birth	(1983-05-22)22 May 1983
Place of birth	Florence, Italy
Date of death
Place of death	Bologna, Italy
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1993–1994	Torino
1994–1995	Parma
1995–1999	Fiorentina
1999–2001	Arsenal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2001	Arsenal	0	(0)
2000–2001	→ Bologna (loan)	1	(0)
International career
1999	Italy U16	1	(0)
2000–2001	Italy U17	5	(1)
2000	Italy U18	3	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Niccolò Galli (22 May 1983 — 10 February 2001) was a promising professional footballer who died in a road traffic accident aged 17.

The son of former Italian international goalkeeper Giovanni Galli, he began with his hometown club, Fiorentina, before moving to Arsenal in August 1999. He spent one year in London, winning the FA Youth Cup in 2000, then returning to Italy to finish his studies. He was on loan with Bologna during this time. It was here that the young central defender's career really started to take off, featuring in Serie A and being recognised by Italy's youth teams, before he died. Arsenal Manager Arsène Wenger and Head of Youth Development and Academy Director Liam Brady both praised the young defender and stated he would have been a certainty to make the Arsenal first team but for his death.

Wenger even went as far as to state “I have no doubt in my mind that had he lived, he would have been captain of Arsenal and of Italy.”

The football training centre used by Bologna FC, in the neighbourhood of Casteldebole, is named after him; Bologna FC also retired his number 27 shirt. Arsenal observed a minute's silence upon the news of his death. Galli's former friend and youth academy team-mate Fabio Quagliarella wears the number 27 in his honour.

External links

• Niccolò Galli Foundation (Italian)